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Sunday, September 16, 2012

In my own world - sequels and freebies

Happy Sunday! CB Conwy here, talking about writing, and my new book, and a new freebie on my website!

When I'm
writing, I tend to go into my own world - and sometimes it can be pretty hard
to say goodbye to that world. That was the case with my new book, Happily Ever After, which continues the story of Tom and Mischa from A Russian Bear.

The
characters tend to come alive in my mind. And yes, I really hope I never have
to have a psychiatric evaluation, because I fully recognize that it's somewhat
worrying to have this many people inside my head… I can imagine the conversation:

Doctor:
"Have you ever heard voices in your head, talking to you?"

Me: "Definitely
not. I mean, not talking to me as such."

Worried-looking
doctor: "What do you mean, 'as such'?"

Me:
"They talk more among themselves. You know, when they get into a fight or
something."

Still more worried-looking doctor: "Aha. Uh… But you know
they aren't real, right?"

Me:
"Of course they aren't real! Even though CK would have a thing or two to
say about this conversation."

Doctor
looking about to commit me: "So, they aren't real, but they still talk to
you?"

Me:
"Of course they talk to me! Uh, I mean…"

But, well,
apart from the whole mental health thing, creating worlds can be a good thing -
because it means sequels. And spin-offs. And spin-offs from spin-offs. In other
words, separation anxiety can be a good thing for authors (and readers).

The Slake
universe is an example of a fictional world that I know very well by now.
Better than my readers, in fact; there are lots of stories I haven't told. Some
of them will probably stay in my head; others suddenly pop up at weird moments.

The latter
was the case with the story of Toby's bartender. I've hinted at it several
times, so now I had to tell it:

Ben is Toby's bartender, and he's driving Toby crazy. Not just because
Ben gets himself hurt all the time, but because he's there. And Toby
can't keep himself from having scenes with him, and he can't keep
himself from holding the boy afterwards, either, and thinking about
how nice it feels. Even though Ben's his employee and they shouldn't be
doing this in the first place. His Something is a quick look at the event which might change Toby's mind when it comes to Ben - whether Toby wants to admit it or not.

And if
you're sick and tired of hearing about the same characters, then I have a
cheeky little sip out as well: Leather and Newfound Land. It's about a couple cursed with literary
names and a Newfoundland puppy. And a little about a poet who likes a lobster.
Thanks to Kristi P. for the idea! (Well, the lobster part really isn't her
fault).

Here's
the blurb:
Getting a puppy can cause major upheaval, mess, and distraction in your life.
Much like getting a boyfriend, come to think about it. And Cliff has to think
about it after Mischa (the adorable, but incredibly messy Newfoundland puppy)
and Gerard (the equally adorable, but incredibly tidy man) come into his life
on the very same day.

It's a case of opposites attracting -- and a puppy making it worse. The dog is
wreaking havoc, and in the end, Cliff''s doubting whether he's going to have a
boyfriend for much longer. Then a puppy catastrophe leads to the discovery of
Gerard's kinky secret, and Cliff realizes that they may be more compatible than
he ever thought possible.